Customer Reviews:
Freedom.......2006-10-10
I read this book one winter day tucked safely and warmly under my bed covers. In the summer I signed up for a kayak trip with the author. Did the book inspire me--you bet! And I've been going on adventure trips ever since. I've bought the book for friends who love it as well. It's an exciting read but more importantly, for me, a life changer. Marilyn McLauchlan Bainbridge Island, Wa
Inside the Inside Passage.......2006-09-24
For those who have ever dreamed of taking a trip through Alaska's Inside Passage, Jennifer Hahn's Spirited Waters might be the closest thing to making that dream come true. With every page reader's can feel the freedom, the thrill, even the tension and moments of fear that Hahn experiences--whether cause by acts of nature (predictable and unpredictable) or acts of people along the way (well-intentioned or otherwise).
Motivated in part by the untimely deaths of her mother (when Hahn was a young girl) and then her brother when he was just 32 and in part by the persistent "whispers" of her own dreams, Hahn knew "it was time." "Dreams," Hahn says, "I've learned have the patience of Job. Like mushroom mycelium, they can live underground for years, laying a vast framework while awaiting an opportune rainstorm to waggle their fruits. Unbeknownst to me," she continues, "such a storm was approaching as I strode into my early thirties...Whatever dreams lay sleeping inside me; my intuition said I'd better roust them ASAP. For all I knew, like my adventurous mom and my brother, I might not live past my mid-thirties, either."
Armed with the survival skills she had learned over the years and had been teaching for almost 15 years, as well as the tools of survival she could fit into her kayak, Yemaya, she set off--alone!
"Kayaking, "she says, "offers the traveler one of the most holistic and sensual rides," largely because one can move "at a walking pace" in a kayak. At maybe three miles per hour (if there's no wind or current) the traveler can observe--see, hear, feel--the smallest details in the water, the flora, the fauna, even the wind and the water current.
Hahn's adventure--72 days on the water--spanned two summers and two springs with breaks in between during the most unrelenting Alaskan climate. While she spares no details, readers flow through the pages and the chapters as smoothly and adventurously as Hahn flowed through the Inside Passage.
As impressive as the thoroughly engaging and often poetic prose are Hahn's delightful, detailed maps and illustration of birds, plants, flowers, and animal tracks. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, laden with wonderful insights, tales of trials and trails, and exciting accounts of seemingly endless adventures.
What a ride!.......2006-08-20
I just finished reading Jennifer Hahn's Spirited Waters. I admire courage where ever I see it especially in the water since I can't swim! But Hahn's book is about more than courage. It's about the beauty of nature and the loneliness of a solitary adventure.
I felt as though I was with Jennifer in that kayak experiencing the grandeur of the Inside Passage and navigating unknown treacherous waters at every turn. I loved her ability to convey her fear during a storm and her strength in rallying her inner resources to conquer it.
Most of all, it was Jennifer's writing style and observations of things such as the wildharvesting and my amusement in her description of plucking seaweed for a snack.
I will probably never be in a kayak much less traveling 750 miles in one in seventy days but Jennifer Hahn brought the experience to me in Spirited Waters. I marvel at her ability to breath life into her experience through the written word as well as the drawings that enhance the story. Reading about her adventure put me in the story with her.
Real Adventure.......2006-08-10
Spirited Waters is not just another run of the mill, macho adventure story. Don't get me wrong, you'll find plenty of excitement, danger, and a wonderful guide to roughing it in the remote Pacific Northwest, but this book offers so much more. This is a moving journey of self discovery in one of the last great wildernesses of the Pacific Coast. Hahn is a true wild woman whose love of the natural world makes her stories lush with detail, a succulent feast for your mind's eye. I've finally found my ideal wilderness adventure reading, a beautiful narrative inspired by a passion for all things wild, and written from the heart.
A big disappointment.......2005-11-25
From the title I was expecting to read about a solo kayak trip from Alaska to Washington. What we get in the book is a series of shorter trips over a few years where the author is not even going in the same direction. As soon as any discomfort is looming the author heads to the nearest B&B, boat or lighthouse to scrounge a place to sleep for the night and a meal. She always introduces herself to strangers as paddling from Alaska to Washington which seemed to be a bit of an ego trip when in reality she was on a 1 or 2 week paddling trip. There were endless descriptions of seaweed to pad the book out. I ended up skimming the book faster and faster looking for something interesting to actually happen but it never really did. There are plenty of inspirational books on expeditions or trips, not this one though which is just one big disappointment.
Book Description
Each year, thousands of pilgrims visit the celebrated New Orleans tomb where Marie Laveau is said to lie. They seek her favors or fear her lingering influence. Voodoo Queen: The Spirited Lives of Marie Laveau is the first study of the Laveaus, mother and daughter of the same name, who were two legendary leaders of religious and spiritual traditions many still label as evil.
The Laveaus were free women of color and prominent French-speaking Catholic Creoles. From the 1820s until the 1880s when one died and the other disappeared, gossip, fear, and fierce affection swirled about them. From the heart of the French Quarter, in dance, drumming, song and spirit possession, they ruled the imagination of New Orleans.
How did the two Maries apply their "magical" powers and uncommon business sense to shift the course of love, luck, and the law? The women understood the real crime?they had pitted their spiritual forces against the slave system of the United States. Moses-like, they led their people out of bondage and offered protection and freedom to the community of color, rich white women, enslaved families, and men condemned to hang.
The curse of the Laveau family, however, followed them. Both loved men they could never marry. Both faced down the press and police who stalked them. Both countered the relentless gossip of curses, evil spirits, murders, and infant sacrifice with acts of benevolence.
The book is also a detective story---who is really buried in the famous tomb in the oldest "city of the dead" in New Orleans? What scandals did the Laveau family intend to keep buried there forever? By what sleight of hand did free people of color lose their cultural identity when Americans purchased Louisiana and imposed racial apartheid upon Creole creativity? The book brings the improbable testimonies of saints, spirits, and never-before printed eyewitness accounts of their ceremonies and magical crafts to the lives of the two Marie Laveaus, leaders of a major, indigenous American religion.
Customer Reviews:
voodoo queen the spirited lives of marie laveau.......2006-07-04
Great book , loved it, thought it was wonderful
A book full of spirit.......2006-06-22
Many people have fallen in love with the women who is known as Marie Laveau. Not much is truely known about her, but Martha Ward does an excellent job in giving it's readers an inside look at the "Spirited Life of Marie Laveau". This book is a must for anyone interested in the subject of New Orleans folklore.
The BEST Book you will ever read on "The Widow Paris".......2006-03-07
Martha Ward deserves great kudos for this incredible work of love and devotion, Finally bringing the enigma of "Marie Laveau", BOTH of the Marie Laveau's to us in this day and age where she is so very much needed again to Bless her 21st Century Children now as a bona fide "Lwa"! Excellent!!! May the Good Mother Bless Martha Ward, And ALL of Us! So Be It!
Disappointingly Unreliable and Insensitive.......2006-02-09
I have always taken great interest in the history of my home town, New Orleans. I read whatever I can find about the corky characters that made this city so unique, and Marie Laveau has always been one of my favorites. Unfortunately, this book was a terrible disappointment.
Much of the insights about Marie Laveau in this book are not new but drawn from other sources that Martha Ward, the author, often fails to acknowledge and what is actually new here contains considerable mistakes on nearly every other page or is blurred with unsubstantiated fiction. Ward also displays little familiarity with Voodoo practices and Catholicism. To make matters worse, Ward makes painfully racist statements such as the best hotels in town "held tasteful slave auctions in their carpeted lobbies" (p.80). In my view, there is nothing "tasteful" about a horrendous ordeal like that, at least not for the men, women, and children who ended up on the auction block. Sadly, Ward, a white woman from Oklahoma, identifies here with the perspective of the slave buyers who indeed must have considered fine hotels to be a more "tasteful" environment than the dingy slave pens filled with stench.
The abundance of fiction and incorrect data makes me wonder whether Ward should have considered writing a historical novel instead, because her passion seems to be in the fiction not in caring about complex historical data. That way it would have been more honest and less confusing for the reader. As it is, Ward's book is both entertaining and an easy read, but should not be mistaken for a meticulously researched serious academic work despite the fact that it appeared in a scholarly press. Even major plots in this volume cannot be backed up historically. For more reliable sources on Marie Laveau see for instance Carolyn Long, Spiritual Merchants, and Ina Fandrich, The Mysterious Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveaux.
She made a human being out of an enigma.......2005-10-21
Madame Marie Laveau's name has been mentioned at various times every since I became involved with African spiriituality, so naturally I have an interest in her story. She has been portrayed as both sinner and saint, goddess and devil worshipper. Thanks to Martha Ward's book, we all can now see that she was neither, but a woman who lived her life as freely as she could within the confines of her time period. As a free woman of color, New Orleans wasn't either the worst place or the best place to be, it was simply Madame's life. She used her religion to help those less fortunate and tried to ease their burdens as best she could.
Ms Ward paints a vivid depiction of Madame's New Orleans and the restrictions that were on her and her family. The writing draws you into the history, giving you the feeling that you were really there. There is true empathy in the writing, as it illuminates what society was like in those times. You can also tell that the press of that era only saw Madame as something to either be laughed at or feared, as they tried to hide her name and destroy all evidence of her existence. Ah, but everything done in the dark, shall come to the light, and Ms Ward has brought her story to the forefront, showing a woman of courage, love and truth. To those of us who serve the gods of our ancestors, Madame Marie Laveau holds a revered place in our hearts and on our altars. She is Mary, Mother of the Spirits, one of the old ones who maintained our traditions in a hostile enviroment, passing it down through the generations. If no one else has said it, let me be the first to say, Modupe, Martha Ward, and, Modupe, Madame Laveau.
Book Description
As long as there has been an America, the indomitable spirit of American women has shaped both the country's history and society. Regardless of the time and place these women were born each excelled in her respective field, making it easier for the next generation. This is what makes them heroines.
In American Heroines, Kay Bailey Hutchison presents female pioneers in fields as varied as government, business, education and healthcare, who overcame the resistance and prejudice of their times and accomplished things that no woman -- and sometimes no man -- had done before. Hutchison, a pioneer in her own right, became the first woman elected to the United States Senate from the State of Texas.
Interspersed with the stories of America's historic female leaders are stories of today's women whose successes are clearly linked to those predecessors. Would Sally Ride have been given the chance to orbit the earth had Amelia Earhart not flown solo across the Atlantic Ocean fifty years before? Had Clara Barton not nursed wounded soldiers on Civil War battlefields, aid may not have reached the millions it did while the Red Cross was in the hands of women like Elizabeth Dole and Bernadine Healy. Had Oveta Culp Hobby not been appointed the first Secretary of the Department of Health and Education by President Eisenhower, the country may have been deprived of such leaders as Secretary of State Madeline Albright and National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice.
As a young girl, Senator Hutchison dreamed of an America where the qualifier "the first woman" had become obsolete. The profiles contained in American Heroines, illustrate how her dream is coming true, one courageous step at a time.
Customer Reviews:
A VERY SPIRTED BOOK.......2005-09-17
THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING BOOKS OF ITS KIND THAT I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME."AMERICAN HEROINES" IS A VERY SPECIAL BOOK AND REALLY SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING IN MOST HIGH SCHOOLS SO MOST STUDENTS CAN GET TO KNOW WHAT GREAT DEEDS THESE WONDERFUL WOMEN PERFORMED TO SHAPE AND MOLD THIS GREAT NATION OF OURS. UP UNTIL NOW ALOT OF THESE WOMEN AND THE GREAT THINGS THEY HAVE DONE HAVE GONE UNOTICED BUT SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISONS BOOK "AMERICAN HEROINES" HAS GIVEN A NEW LIGHT TO ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL WOMEN AND WHAT GREAT THINGS THEY DID. IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A GREAT GIFT FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL:A FRIEND, FAMILY MEMBER, A SOLDIER SERVERING OVER SEAS THEAN GET THEM "AMERICAN HEROINES" BY KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON IT WOULD MAKE A PERFECT GIFT FOR THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE. AND WHO EVER YOU GIVE THIS BOOK TO THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT SOME VERY SPIRITED PEOPLE HELPED SHAPED THIS GREAT COUNTRY.
Leadership of Graciousness.......2005-03-18
Senator Hutchison is a woman who has risen above stereotypes to become the first woman in Texas elected to the Senate. That says a lot in a land where men still open doors for women and call women "ma'am" or "miss" even though you may be a complete stranger. Put aside your political beliefs and you will have a book highlighting women who conquered the "glass ceiling" despite what was the norm of the times. These women may be from Timbuktu for all we know, but they are women whom our daughters can learn how to reach beyond gender stereotypes. Of course Senator Hutchison will include more women from Texas than from elsewhere, she grew up in Texas. These are women who influenced her and helped her achieve the "first" status as well. Again, putting aside politics, this book is a good book on the power of women who can rise despite criticism and social norms.
Senator Hutchison should perform better research on her fact.......2005-02-04
In reading Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's (R-TX) book, American Heroines: The Spirited Women Who Shaped Our Country, I found a large error. The error was in her reference to NASA astronaut, Dr. Sally Ride;
1. On page 207, 2nd paragraph Senator Hutchison writes: "Fast forward to June 18, 1983, and Dr. Ride became the first female astronaut for a mission into outer space."
2. Continuing on page 207, 3rd paragraph: "In 1983, she became the first women in space..."
Dr. Ride was not the first woman to fly in outer space; she was the first "American" woman to fly in outer space and the third woman in outer space. The two other women that preceded her were Valentina Tereshkova (Vostok 6 in 1963) and Svetlana Savitskaya (Soyuz T-7 in 1982), both from the former Soviet Union. Some may argue that it is correct to say that Dr. Ride was the first women "astronaunt" as the former Soviet Union women were referred to as "cosmonaunts." I do not agree, still incorrect information.
One review of the book said that Senator Hutchinson's "combines biography and social history to shed light on what she calls the indomitable spirit of American women which has shaped both the country's history and its society." Dr. Sally Ride's contribution to space flight and American women should be celebrated and she is an important a role model for women but it is also important that her accomplishments be presented correctly.
It is unfortunate that this information was not researched more thoroughly or corrected by the editor. Several online encyclopedias contain the correct information.
[...]
This One's for the Girls .......2005-02-01
Traversing the diverse footprints of America's influential women seems a daunting order for one book. American Heroines: The Spirited Women Who Shaped Our Country by United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison navigates the lives and accomplishments of America's remarkable women, spanning from Mary Austin Holley to Sandra Day O'Connor and Amelia Earhart to Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The book reads like a collection of short stories, so it's perfect for the reader-on-the go. Read a chapter an evening, and be enlightened by a brief biography of an influential American woman, then commentary on the significance of her historical impact. Hutchison keeps the narrative light and lively, and she infuses the biography with her perspective on her subjects' lasting contribution.
Diversity of subject strengthens this book. Senator Hutchinson groups the chapters into similar sections, such as "Pioneers and Preservationists," "Education for Everyone," "Conquering the Skies," and "Public Lives, Public Service." While Hutchinson is a political conservative, her biographical praise crosses back and forth across the ideological aisle - she gives equal admiration to Geraldine Ferraro and Madeline Albright as she does to Elizabeth Dole and Condoleezza Rice. And, her esteem reaches beyond politics. She commends healthcare pioneer Clara Barton, astronaut Sally Ride, and artist Mary Cassatt.
The colloquial writing proves a little distracting. One more word-cutting and cleaning edit would have improved the work. However, Hutchinson voice is the book's finest attribute, and that remains clear throughout the biographies. Her admiring observations provide a personal touch to the history. An extraordinary woman herself, Hutchinson is the first woman to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. The book highlights her own resourcefulness and intelligence and reveals her affection for her home state. She's a little partial to the ladies of Texas in her subject choice, but what Texan isn't?
Don't read this book if you're looking for a challenging and intellectual dose of history - go buy a textbook instead. But, read American Heroines: The Spirited Women Who Shaped Our Country for an enriching, entertaining and comprehensive tour of the lives and accomplishments of 45 outstanding American women.
Collection Of Famous People Who Happen To Be Women.......2005-01-24
Think of this book as more of a reference book than a cover-to-cover read. The book is made up of the heart-warming life stories of a collection of famous women in America. The book's index is available on Amazon where you can find all of the women who are covered in this book.
Customer Reviews:
Easy American History Lesson.......2003-08-05
Loved these series of books. Love the author, love the non-fiction books. Makes maybe unappealing facts very appealing. Wish I knew the women portrayed in all these books. They would have been exciting women to know. We think Billy Jean was special because she played tennis with the first man.....these pioneer women did it all. And some even led their lives as men, these books are a must read for any serious 'women's libers'.
Right on, sister, right on.
Book Description
Combining biblical scholarship, midrash, and an imaginative, fictional approach, Mary Ellen Ashcroft takes a new look at seven biblical women: Mary Magdalene, Maria, Sister of Martha, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Joanna, The Samaritan Woman, and Martha.
In this book Ashcroft views these women in light of Christ's resurrection. What might they have thought, felt, and done, once they knew that Jesus had been raised from the dead? How did they influence and help build the early Christian movement?
Ashcroft maintains that these women have become “lost” in history, that their true identities have been obscured. By seeing them afresh, we can gain insights for our own discipleship. Ashcroft says, “Mentors and foremothers of the faith, have you been lost, or have we? You have sat, watching these many years, waiting to welcome us. Perhaps it is in finding you that we find our place in the faith.” Spirited Women includes spiritual exercises for meditation, reflection, prayer, and discussion.
Customer Reviews:
Creative, Insightful and Thought-provoking!.......2003-03-25
I found Spirited Women to be an encouraging and uplifting resource. I've imagined all of these women in much the same situations during the formation of the new testament church. And have come to similar conclusions regarding the individual character of each woman represented, their relationship to each other, and their subsequent "disappearance" from the scene of church history. There is no doubt that Jesus left His indelible mark of love and freedom on each of these women and it is a challenge to the leadership of today's church to truly follow in His footsteps.
Though I might not agree with everything Ms. Ashcroft presents, the bulk of her writing on this topic will continue to challenge me and draw to a deeper walk with Jesus!
Extremely disappointing.......2002-03-17
I happened across Ashcroft's book previous to this one, "Magdalene Gospels." It was awesome. It was truly a celebration of women in faith. Spirited Women seems to me to be the author's crude expression of anger with the early church and the present Catholic Faith. While Ashcroft appears to truly identify with the personality of Mary Magdalene, she seems to want to justify that identification by putting down the meek yet strong characterization of Mary Mother of God. It is sad that the book came out the way it did. Ms. Ashcroft brings up good points like , "...what happened to the women disciples and where are they today as shepherdesses?" Unfortunately, instead of expanding on those thoughts positively, she misdirects her energy and comes very close to using it as a a medium for Catholic-Bashing. I pray for the author and hope that she rewrites another sequel to Magdalene Gospel, keeping it purely fictional. She has so much to offer modern-day women disciples but no one will listen if they sense a tone animosity.
Customer Reviews:
The Walker Sisters: Spirited Women Of The Smokies.......2007-04-05
This piece is a really interesting book which reveals little known information about the enigmatic and much sought after "Ladies of the Smokey Mountain Park", the Walker Sisters.
LOVED IT.......2006-05-28
This is a great book that tells you how things were when our grandparents and great grandparents were growing up. I never knew people had it so bad. This book also brings back memories of of things I have seen my grandparents do. This is a great book that I highly recommend.
Fascinating reading!.......2005-10-14
My family just came back from the Smokies a month ago and I happened to bring back this little book. One thing you should know about me is that I try to buy a couple of books on the region of the country that we are visiting. This was one of them. I am intrigued by the history of the places I visit. The Smokies is definitely one place that we are going back to.
This is a fascinating look at life in the mountains. It is not your stereotypical book either ~~ these women are magnificent women and the author brings their stories to life just by describing their daily routines, their beliefs and how life in the mountains were lived. Their lives were not easy ~~ and nor were they idle. But they were not complainers ~~ and obviously it worked for them as they stayed in the mountains fourteen years or so after the Smokies became a national park.
This book is packed with tidbits of history and some of their superstitions. It is full of information on how they survived off the land ~~ just like the Indians, they made use of just about everything they either grow or made. The author told of how they courted among themselves, how they entertained one another (with stories by the fireplace, dances and music and church-goings ~~ even chores were oftentimes excuses to get together and visit), and how they survived in the wilderness without doctors or hospitals nearby.
If you are looking for something that reminds you of your ancestors' lives, this is a great book to pick up! It is a slim volume but it is packed full of interesting tidbits. It gives you an idea of just how hard life can be in those days and sometimes, how much more richer it really was.
10-12-05
Book Description
Made doubly marginal by their gender and by their religion, American nuns have rarely been granted serious scholarly attention. Instead, their lives and achievements have been obscured by myths or distorted by stereotypes. Placing nuns into the mainstream of American religious and women's history for the first time, Spirited Lives reveals their critical impact on the development of Catholic culture and, ultimately, the building of American society.
Focusing on the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, one of the largest and most diverse American sisterhoods, Carol Coburn and Martha Smith explore how nuns directly influenced the lives of millions of Americans, both Catholic and non-Catholic, through their work in schools, hospitals, orphanages, and other social service institutions. Far from functioning as passive handmaidens for Catholic clergy and parishes, nuns created, financed, and administered these institutions, struggling with, and at times resisting, male secular and clerical authority.
A rich and multifaceted narrative, Spirited Lives illuminates the intersection of gender, religion, and power in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century America.
Customer Reviews:
Thank you, Sisters!.......2001-11-19
If you are looking for a book that extolls the virtues of self-sacrifice and non-feminist heroism, and that records the profound influence of Catholicism on the American culture, you may very well enjoy this scholarly but readable book. It has 19 photographs of sisters in traditional habits. Many picture sisters working in the pre-1920 classroom, hospital, operating room, and orphanage. For the collector of books about nuns, there is a 9 page bibliography that lists other nun books. If you went to pre-Vatican II grammar school,it makes you feel grateful to those young women who educated you! Thank you, Sisters!
Very one dimensional.......2001-06-20
The authors, unwittingly I'm sure, set forth a problem that has affected every religious group in the United States: the "American way" is foremost, and religious belief and practise carefully modified in a subordinate role. The accomplishments of religious Sisters are undeniable, and the book has some merit in treating of their role in a nation that was predominantly Protestant, yet the authors would leave one in the dark about the solid religious principles (ascetic, and generally misunderstood) which motivated many of those in religious life. One would think their sole purpose in life was to make people "more American."
Research is often poor, and sometimes beyond naive. For example, though any immigrant or working class kid knows better, the authors seem at their wits' end to set forth the "classless" American society and its "nobility." That the Sisters of Saint Joseph established private schools which charged tuition fees, as well as free schools, is presented as a desperate measure, to which people were opposed because of the American dislike for class. To imply that the wealthy could not bear having their children attend a private school for this reason is about as accurate as seeing nineteenth century nuns, who could not wash their handkerchiefs without permission, as having unusual freedom.
Where is the true Catholicism? I doubt the founding fathers or pilgrims would see it as compatible with the American dream.
Careful and Readable Study of a Neglected Subject.......2000-05-26
This is a very well done history of a large religious community. The authors were wise to select the Sisters of St. Joseph (CSJ) a case study of Catholic religious in the United States. CSJs are very typical of American Catholic Sisterhoods in that they had a European origin, adapted European customs to an American context, performed marvels through hard work and dedication in schools and hospitals, and were a vital force in the Americanization of immigrants.
Forget any streotypes about passivity. Leaders of many American religious communities had to be adept at church politics. Authority figures--The Bishop, The Priest, The Cardinal, had very fixed ideas about control of property, assigning of nuns to various projects, as well as gratingly petty demands. The CSJs were marvels at outfoxing some of these demanding reverend gentlemen. And, when one considers that The Bishop had the hierarchical authority of the Church as well as Victorian ideas about the submissiveness of women working on his side, the sagicity of these women is admirable.
Occasionaly, the authors compare the lives and work of the CSJs with Protestant women. I found this interesting and useful and wish the book covered the subject more thoroughly.
The authors perhaps overemphasize the freedom of the Sisters, as compared to married women. Get real. 19th century nuns lived in a ludicrously controlled world where drinking water between meals without permission was considered a fault. The fact that Sisters managed to accomplish all that they did despite rules and regulations dating from the Middle Ages is a testimony to their dedication.
I wish I had written this one!
THE INTERSECTION OF GENDER AND RELIGION MUST BE REDRAWN........1999-09-15
In sophisticated and multilayered arguments, Spirited Lives describes how the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet emigrated to North America, expanded their work and influence in the West, created an American identity for themselves, and then helped to "Americanize" generations of mostly poor Catholic immigrants in the United States. They did so by developing and staffing a myriad of educational, health and social service institutions. This work called forth generations of sisters who were educated, hard working, and committed to a spiritual life, women who worked within gender boundaries to affect change in the larger society. This book is meticulously researched and written with precision and honesty, providing a wealth of new information on religion in America, the contributions of a particular group of women to American society, and how American culture was shaped by them. The fact that the book was conceptualized, researched and written by two historians makes this a project unusual for the vigor of the questions, experience and approach brought to bear on the topic. Still, the most exciting aspect of this work lies in two other important areas.
For decades, women's historians have based the emergence of American feminism on the influence of Evangelical Protestantism on white, middle-class women. For that matter, the historiography on American social movements generally has been shaped by this interest in the intersection between religion and reform, more recently adding gender to the mix. Such a focus has, I believe, caused scholars to ignore the committed and growing numbers of Catholic women religious who came to America on missions of mercy and stayed to help build America. Using the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet as a case study, Carol Coburn and Martha Smith's Spirited Lives has both filled the void and analyzed the process. Catholicism, as well as Protestantism, formed this culture we call American, and women were leaders in both instances. This is an important conclusion overlooked for the most part by American social historians.
More importantly for women's history is the growing realization that the intersection of religion, gender and reform is more complicated than previously thought. Catholicism, as well as Evangelical Protestantism, shaped women's lives and shaped American society. Women's history has argued for decades that religion and family role moved women from the private space of the home to the reform activities of public space. Now, thanks to the work of Carol Coburn and Sister Martha Smith, we see that the power gained by nuns from their role in "sacred space" gave them the authority to work for change in the larger secular and public spaces of society. These women, in fact, because of their vows of chastity were free to pursue education and work unfettered by the demands placed on Evangelical women who drew their authority from their status as wives and mothers.
Finally, this book has real value for a wide variety of college classrooms. It is always difficult to find monographs that will allow students to learn about a range of historical topics; this one is perfect for that. Religion, ethnicity and race, immigration, social services and social policy, gender, identity formation, poverty, education, and medicine are all topics covered in this "truly American narrative." (p. 10)
good solid history.......1999-08-06
Carol Coburn and Martha Smith have produced an excellent case study of the far ranging influence exerted by religious sisters in the United States over a period of more than a century.
Through their work in schools, hospitals, child care institutions and special education the Sisters of St Joseph interacted with many people outside the Catholic community. Their work in parish schools was particularly important in creating a cohesive and informed Catholic community. It is certain that the history of the Catholic Church in the United States would have been very different had there not been a source of cost effective labour to support a separate school system. As studies on the health care apostolate of the Church (Stepsis & Liptack and Kaufmann) have shown the sisters' apostolate was a means of breaking down prejudice. Their work in private academies did much the same. As the authors point out the work in parish schools also assisted the passage of social mobility for a largely migrant school population.
Not only do we learn how the sisters influenced the population of the United States during its great period of expansion. To the European reader it is also obvious how much the ethos of the pioneer country - not always appreciated by European religious superiors - affected the sisters themselves. The development of religious life in the United States, particularly for those communities founded there or detatched from European congregations, was quite different from that in Europe. In a large country with ever expanding horizons it is much easier to be innovative.
Personally I would have liked a little more comparison between the experience of the Sisters of St Joseph and others communities. On the whole, however, the book was extremely readable and well documented. I cannot claim sufficient acquaintance with feminist theory to say whether this is feminist history. What I do know is that it is good history because it is based on an informed use of rich primary sources and it does not vouch opinion or analysis without sound reasons.
The enormous work of a more general approach is awaited eagerly. If only communities and researchers in Britain had the vast resources that can be taken advantage of in the United States to produce a similar study.
Book Description
Remaining productive in spite of a disability or terminal illness is a challenge. In Spirited Threads, Patricia Roberts Cline speaks to us in her last years about how her passion for creating art sustained her through her struggles. Cline tells her story through journals, which were assembled and edited by her close friends and teacher, Cynthia Grant Tucker. Twenty-four quilt images appear in full color and include her studio writings as well as forty-six black and white sketches and photos of family and friends. Studio notes provide an inside qlimpse into the creative process and Ms. Clines philosophy.
Customer Reviews:
Decent scholarship, great expose.......2004-08-26
I read More Spirited hoping to find some answers about the church's view on women. I was born in 1970 and am a professional now, when pretty much women can do anything they want. And that's a good thing. The church is the place where women can't do something simply because and for no other reason than they are women. This bothers me to no end. I'm certainly not going to abandon the church for it, but it does bother me and I want answers.
More Spirited is a good, but not stellar, scholarly achievement. Her sources are quite limited and her exposition of spirituality is not very deep, leaning rather heavily on "because God says so." But it was a very good book and exposed feminist thought for what it is. I know because after I finished it, I picked up some books on feminist thought. A few random pages were enough to show me that, while the author of More Spirited has her own ax to grind, she was very accurate in her portrayal of the feminist worldview and attitude.
Good examination of feminist history and thought.......2002-04-26
Using documents from feminists themselves, Cowie shows the true agenda they are pushing. All of Cowie's arguments are backed up by her former life as a feminist.
I wish the section on spirituality were longer, though. It seems to be "tacked on."
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Books Index
Books Home
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General
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Kayaking the Inside Passage: A Paddling Guide from Olympia, Washington to Muir Glacier, Alaska
The Only Kayak: A Journey into the Heart of Alaska
Southern Exposure: A Solo Sea Kayaking Journey Around New Zealand's South Island
Guide to Sea Kayaking in Southeast Alaska : The Best Day Trips and Tours from Misty Fjords to Glacier Bay
Adventure Kayaking: Trips in Glacier Bay (Adventure Kayaking)
